Luya and Collins soon got back from the river with two jars of water, they met the group sitting around the fire, smoking the deer.
"We are only roasting one animal?", Collins asked as he quickly took his seat between Elijah and Timothy while Luya sat opposite Benjamin.
" Which stomach are you going to fill in all the animals?", Elijah asked playfully,
" I thought we were smoking two of them, can this one alone okay everyone here?", Collins asked looking serious,
" Is your pot belly terrifying you that much?", Elijah asked and they all laughed, " the deer is big enough but don't worry this is just to reward everyone for a job well done", Elijah said,
" what about the other two?", Collins asked,
" We'll roast another one when we get home, smoked meat is always good with beers don't you think?", Benjamin said and he understood him. Everyone nodded in support of that but Collins wasn't done with his questions.
" what of the boar?",
" don't you think this man loves food too much?", Matthew said and they all laughed at Collins,
" we'll divide the boar and take it home, my mum is a good cook, and would love to know the taste of a boar in a hot soup", Elijah said turning the animal on the fire.
"Does your mum know how to make a large portion? cause I might as well want to have a taste", Collins said and they all laughed again,
" Go and stress your mother, mine is cooking for us and not for you", Benjamin said and they all smiled, laughed, and chatted.
When the meat was done, they all cut their portion, eating, laughing, drinking, and gisting about their adventure that they lost track of time. Matthew didn't fail to tell the group about how Elijah saved his life and how he nearly peed in his trousers when he saw the angry eyes of a boar. Everyone also talked about the little adventure they had, except Luya who was filled with anxiety and guilt, knowing that everything Timothy was gisting about was a lie but he had no courage to say anything.
" What's wrong Luya? You've been awfully quiet", Elijah asked and this question brought everyone's attention to Luya.
" Did something happen while hunting?", Ben asked but he remained quiet. He nervously looked at Tim who gave him a murderous glare and he couldn't say a word.
" Are you feeling threatened to say anything?", Elijah asked as if he could see through everything making Luya more nervous. Everyone looked keenly at Luya, eager and curious to know what's it that he couldn't say and his eyes were dancing around nervously.
" Look at these young great hunters having a wonderful night".
The familiar voice of an old woman broke the ice and all heads and eyes turned to her. She was in her usual shabby dress, a black old scarf wrapped around her head, and an old stick in her right hand as she was using it to support herself. She gave them a grin showing off her yellow teeth and her wrinkled cheeks.
" Madam. S?", Matthew called surprisedly. The ' S ' simply means Story and that's what she demanded to be called saying she doesn't have a name as she is omnipotent. The old woman has always been a mystery, no one knows where she comes from, who she is, or whose family she's from but she is generally accepted because of her talent for telling incredible stories.
" What are you doing here by this time of the day", Matthew asked as he helped her sit with them. She thanked him and faced the others,
" Wow!", she exclaimed, " You all are great hunters, look at these big animals being hunted", she complimented, " you all are wonderful hunters",
" Thank you, Madam. S", they thanked her.
Collins glared at Elijah who cut a little portion out for her and she gratefully accepted. Collins doesn't like that cause he feels like that will shorten their ration, his ration to be precise but Elijah doesn't care about the glare he is receiving, he even cuts it bigger to step on his nerves.
" Thank you so much my children", she said with a smile, " are you planning on gifting the king with one cause these are huge animals to feed on alone", she asked and they all laughed except Collins.
' what?! the king? not only the king, was he here to hunt with us? moreover, you should eat quietly and not poke your nose ', Collins said in his mind.
" No madam, we are not giving the king, we are taking them home to our family", Benjamin said,
"awn, what a set of good children", she said munching on the meet and enjoying the taste, " You are really good, this is delicious", she said complimenting Elijah who smiled in response.
" Only if you knew", she said suddenly and they gave her a questioning gaze.
" Only if we know what?", Tim asked,
" that not all gifts are received, and not all received gifts are appreciated", she said in parables and left them all looking confused.
Elijah was quiet trying to understand what she meant and the more he thought of it, the more he became unsettled.
" Hunting can be adventurous, but your adventures aren't over yet", she said again,
" of course, we are planning on hunting more and more", Matthew said grinning as he chewed the meat happily.
"You'll hunt far away, very far away",
" And become the greatest Hunter of all time", Tim said and they all cheered but Elijah felt like something was wrong. There's more to what the old woman was saying. Same to Luya, knowing they've done something forbidden and the woman talking in parables makes him feel unsettled but he also hopes deep down that he was just overthinking.
" For this delicious meet you gave me, how about I give you also a wonderful story?",
" Really? You're going to tell us a story? for free?", Benjamin asked looking so excited,
" yes for free",
"Yes", Matthew and Ben were the happiest of them all. Collins scoffed,
' it's just another scheme of hers to eat more meat, isn't it too late for a story, shouldn't we be heading back now? ', he groaned in his mind.
The old woman sat properly and began the story,
" In a century of unity, every creature lived together with no law, no sin, no knowledge, filled with forced sadness, nonchalant attitude is the cloth that was worn, ignorance was the food that was fed on, but soon a man of greed appeared demanding to rule over everyone, this man introduced what was kingship, what it means to acquire knowledge".
' as usual... always in parables, a story of how riches is claiming to be the boss of peace of mind, urgh, ain't you guys tired of her story that's so unreal and lacks humans? ', Collins said in his mind fuming with anger.
" But this kingship caused chaos", the old woman continued, "The king was from the clan of the humans, not everyone was okay with that, some thought if at all they were to choose a king it should be from a powerful clan not just some mere humans and this was where the war began, to show that they are superior they began to kill all the humans even the king was killed in no time",
" Who are the other creatures?", Luya asked,
" you don't interrupt an elder when telling a story like this", the old woman said and just continued her story, " only a few humans were able to escape but the other creatures couldn't let them go just like that cause after tasting the human blood, the human meat they quickly became addicted and obsessed and are ready to bring down the world for it. While they were still hunting for humans, the clan who helped in wiping out the humans wanted to be the king, they were the Vampires, they were the ones obsessed with human blood but the blood benders didn't accept not because they were more powerful but because they are also humans with extraordinary abilities so they knew the danger it'll be for them, rather than fighting them they went to a faraway land to also create their kingdom, and just like that the werewolves did the same thing.
Since then, the Vampires kept looking for humans to feed on, including werewolves and blood benders as they believed their blood might even be better, they hated the animal blood they'd been feeding on immediately and had caused war between the clans numerous times to feed on them. The humans, with the help of a witch, were able to create a barrier in a faraway land where they wouldn't be located as long as the barrier wasn't tampered with. In all the clans, the safest is the blood benders".
" Wow!", they all exclaimed as she ended her Story but two people were terrified, Luya was getting so scared and nervous and lots of thought was running in his head.
" This sounds almost like a real-life history", Timothy said laughing nervously.
" I almost believe it too", Matthew and Benjamin said feeling amazed.
Elijah looked at the woman who met eyes with him a little sad smile plastered on her face, what she said next looking into his eyes sent a cold shiver down his spine and he knew immediately that there was danger.
" Maybe it's true".